Justin Brown, M.D.
Hometown: Bowling Green, Ohio
What I like best about Akron is that it is an incredibly diverse region with dozens of local agencies, non-profits, and organizations all devoted toward improving the community. My favorite place to hang out in the area is Compass Coffee. Some of my other favorites are Mustard Seed Market & Café in Highland Square, Strickland’s Frozen Custard in Ellet, and Flury’s Café in Cuyahoga Falls. An unexpectedly cool thing about this area is that there are so many exciting festivals and events that take place throughout the year – including Elevate Akron Yoga Festival in Lock 3, PorchRokr and Square Festival in Highland Square, and the annual Barberton Mum Festival.
In our free time, we like home workouts with the peloton app, checking out various local coffee shops, watching Marvel movies/series, visiting used bookstores, and being a guest on my father’s podcast. The perfect Sunday afternoon is mowing the lawn after church, completing home décor/improvement projects with my wife, biking to the tennis courts by our house, or reading a good book with a cat in my lap.
The best part about being a resident at Summa is that I really resonate with the mission of the hospital system and feel like I play an important role in the delivery of high-quality and compassionate care to our patients. Also, the food. I think what really sets our FM program apart from others is the full days in the outpatient setting with good continuity of care, a well-integrated osteopathic curriculum, and the various systems in place to improve the efficiency and efficacy of our clinic workflow. I feel confident that the program exists to cultivate and promote my professional interests, not merely to use me to staff the hospital.
Hannah Giclas, M.D.
Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
What I like best about Akron is that coming from out West, I love how green everything is! My favorite place to hang out is Towpath Trail riding bikes. My favorite weekend places are
Leavened (bakery in Cleveland) or any local coffee shop. I love hiking, baking, and checking out new breweries in my free time. A perfect Saturday night or Sunday afternoon more than likely includes a movie at home or walking up to Mason’s for ice cream.
The best part about being a resident here at Summa Health is the collegiality across specialties. The thing that sets our program apart from others is the feeling of support and a nurturing learning environment. What I like best about being in this FM program is the shared goals of striving toward progressive and inclusive medicine.
Lauren Pittak, D.O
Hometown:
Mia Probinsky, D.O.
Hometown: Miami, Florida
What I like best about Akron is the refugee populations. We have a bunch of refugee centers in the area from Nepal and Afghanistan, and others whom we frequently take care of in clinic, but who also cultivate the area with their native restaurants and culture.
I mostly hangout in Cleveland (where I live) on the weekends. My perfect weekend would consist of morning brunch at Rumi's, taking a walk/hike through one of the many metro parks with my two kids and wife, getting together at co-residents/friends homes to talk some smack, or have dinner/drinks in Lakewood or Tremont.
What I love most about our program is the flexibility and ability for you to make it what you want. If you have an interest in something that has not been done yet, they welcome and support you to add it to our curriculum. My co-residents are my family and I couldn't imagine a kinder and more supportive group to work with.
Kristen Shaub, D.O.
Hometown:
Kaitlyn Simmonds, M.D.
Hometown:
What I like best about Akron is that there is always something to do, specifically if you like outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, “floating the river” etc. My favorite places are the Cuyahoga National Park and the Akron Zoo (amazing for the younger kids). I spend my free time with my fiancé and daughter, a lot of family time/activities - parks, pool, zoo, museums, or a movie at home.
The best part about being a resident at Summa is the comradery, especially between the different specialties. I have made many close friends in other programs. It is easy to bounce ideas off of them or lean on them for help.
What sets our program apart from others is the inclusiveness. I feel everyone shares a mindset that involves inclusive medicine and bettering the community based on this mindset. I always feel support from my co-residents and faculty.
Shana Williams, M.D.
Hometown: West Salem, Ohio
The best part about being a resident at Summa is the culture. The focus is on learning, wellness and patient care. Attendings from all rotations are constantly teaching us in a way that is useful and respectful. There is a strong sense of community here. Bonus: the cafeteria food is pretty good, and we have a Starbucks in the hospital!
What I like best about the FM program is that we have an amazing support system. Our co-residents and faculty check in on us frequently to make sure that we are doing okay. Our faculty allow us to explore our unique interests and make our residency more focused on what we want to do in the future.
In my free time, I like to kayak, crochet, color, snowboard, play with my cat, and grow succulents.
Chris Beshay, M.D.
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
The reason I chose Summa for residency was my initial reaction at the meet and greet virtual session with the residents prior to my interview. I was very surprised at how friendly they all were - almost suspicious at their comic demeanor.
During my interview, I felt like I belonged to this group of people. When I joined the program, the staff were even friendlier than I anticipated. I chose Summa because I felt like I belonged and that I would receive the best medical education.
In my free time I like to explore the extended city, workout, visit family, practice playing trombone, and take up new skills that I've always wanted to develop, such as cooking, dancing and painting.
Kate Crawford, D.O.
Hometown: Valley View, Ohio
The best part of being a resident at Summa is the supportive and welcoming environment. I value how members of our program are always working to grow and provide the best educational experience and patient care experience possible.
In my free time, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, traveling locally and internationally, trying different restaurants/foods, cooking, exercising, and being active outdoors. I also enjoy a good (or bad) reality TV show.
Jenna Ferguson, M.D.
Hometown: Twinsburg, Ohio
The best part about being a resident at Summa is the culture of learning that is created here. All of the attendings that I have worked with are committed to teaching and fostering your growth as a physician. This makes the transition to being a resident easier, knowing that you are going to be supported. What sets our program apart from others is the vast number of opportunities to explore areas of interest within family medicine as well as the very supportive faculty and other residents.
In my free time I like to read, go for walks, travel and spend time with family and friends.
Emily Justus, D.O.
Hometown: Canton, Ohio
I chose Summa for residency because I had such a transformative and positive experience at Summa as a medical student and knew it would be the same experience as a resident.The culture here is unlike anywhere else. Summa always goes the extra mile to take the best care of its patients, employees, and community.The attendings are excited to teach and there is a precedence of profound professionalism and respect for every person. I also love being able to care for and give back to the Northeast Ohio community that I come from.
I chose the specialty of family medicine because I want to be an impactful physician that develops meaningful long-term relationships with patients. I take great pride in the fact that we care for every age and at any time in a patient’s life. I love that this field has never-ending opportunities for growth and change. Most of all, I love that we have the greatest opportunity to get patients to truly buy into their own health and in turn live happier, healthier lives.
The best part about being a resident here is the fact that every day at work I feel like I am part of something much bigger than myself, and I am surrounded by such kind, intelligent, and compassionate individuals. I genuinely am excited to go to work every day, especially when I get to work with my co-residents.
In my free time, I like to travel, hike, cook, visit breweries, and spend time with family, friends, and my dogs.
Alexandra Piampiano, D.O.
Hometown: Rochester, New York
For me what sets Summa FM apart from other programs is the people! The faculty and residents truly care about each other and their patients. The attendings, both in FM and on other services that we rotate through, love to teach. The faculty are very supportive and have open door policies. There are tons of fellowships at Summa, which makes getting connected with people who have similar interests very attainable. Some of my areas of interest are sports medicine, public health, and social determinants of health. Also, the food at Summa is the best of any hospital I've ever been to. They bring in a local restaurant every day of the week at a station in the cafeteria.
In my free time I like to exercise, hike and do just about anything outdoors. I also like to join my co-residents for trivia.
Jessica Poirier, M.D.
Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The best part about being a resident at Summa is the kindness that you witness from every person who works at the hospital. The cafeteria staff, the janitors, the administrative staff, the program coordinators and, of course, the fellows, residents and attendings. Despite the stress of our work, it is nice to see friendly faces every day or get a hello on rounds.
I think what sets our program apart from others is the attention that the faculty pay to ensure that our residency experience is matching our career interests, especially in family medicine where we have the privilege of working with such diverse populations and etiologies.
In my free time, I like to read, listen to music, scrapbook, travel, try new restaurants/foods, and hang out with my significant other and family.
Victoria Wobser, M.D.
Hometown: Clyde, Ohio
The best part of being a resident at Summa is the strong teaching culture throughout the whole hospital. Everyone, from attendings to techs to social workers, is willing to take a minute to answer your questions. I love working with our rotating medical students and getting to share everything that I've learned so far with them. I chose family medicine because I come from a rural background and have a strong interest in working with the underserved, and a large portion of our patient population at our family medicine center are underserved.
In my free time, I like to read, play video games, ride my motorcycle, hang out on Lake Erie with my family, and dominate our class trivia nights.
Christina Wong, D.O.
Hometown: Cupertino, California
The best part of being a resident at Summa are my co-residents! My class gets together at least once a month for trivia nights and dinner, and we always lean on each other for support and encouragement. My co-residents, along with our faculty, create a safe and supportive learning community essential to the residency experience. This provides a strong foundation for us to effectively care for our diverse patient population through collaboration with other hospital departments and immersion within the Akron community.
Additionally, we have a wide variety of delicious food options on campus, including Starbucks and an ice cream store, all of which are covered with our monthly food stipend. (Both the coffee and the ice cream are life-saving!)
Outside of work, I enjoy exploring coffee shops and boutique stores, going out to brunch, nature photography, reading, and knitting chemo caps.